Hey Renee, USA 2014 Women's Olympic Hockey Team Is Set

The NHL's Winter Classic between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Detroit Red Wings happened yesterday at Michigan Stadium.

It was played in front of a record New Year's Day crowd of 105,591 fans who endured 13 degree temps and blowing snow that fell through the entire game at The Big House. 

It was the largest crowd to ever witness a hockey game be it collegiate or professional, and the Maple Leaf fans making the five hour drive to Ann Arbor, MI went back across the border to Toronto happy after the 3-2 shootout win over Detroit.   

But of more importance to moi was what occurred during the Winter Classic second intermission, the  introduction of the 2014 USA Women's Olympic hockey team.   These are the 21 women who will attempt to earn our first gold medal in women's hockey since the 1998 squad did so at Nagano. 

Ahem, here's the Team USA women's hockey roster. for Sochi. 

Forwards: Alex Carpenter, Kendall Coyne, Julie Chu, Brianna Decker, Meghan Duggan, Lyndsey Fry, Amanda Kessel, Hilary Knight, Jocelyne Lamoureux, Monique Lamoureux, Kelli Stack

Defensemen: Kacey Bellamy, Megan Bozek, Gigi Marvin, Michelle Picard, Josephine Pucci, Anne Schleper, Lee Stecklein

Goaltenders: Brianne McLaughlin-Bittle, Molly Schaus, Jessie Vetter

Julie Chu made it to her fourth USA Olympic squad and is one of the 11 Olympic vets on the 2014 team.  Chu is also their oldest player at age 31.  The other ten vets who join her are goaltenders: Jesse Vetter, Molly Schaus and Brianne McLaughlin-Bittle, Kacey Bellamy, Meghan Duggan, Hilary Knight, Jocelyne Lamoureux, Monique Lamoureux, Gigi Marvin and Kelli Stack. 

Amanda Kessel is the sister of Toronto Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel (who made the men's squad) and is also on this Sochi Olympic team.  While this is her first USA Olympic team, she already knows the thrill of beating Canada in international hockey competition. 

The College Player of the Year, Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winner (the equivalent of the Heisman Trophy in women's collegiate hockey) for unbeaten NCAA national champs Minnesota scored the winning goal in the IIHF championship game against Canada last April.  

Amanda Kessel, as y'all found out on your home soil last year is all that and four bags of chips. 

Speaking of world championship winning gold medalists, 18 of the 21 members of this Sochi squad were members of the IIHL World Championship team  in Ottawa, and all 21 have played in the IIHL championships for Team USA. 

And this time a woman will be large and in charge of coaching our Olympic squad in Katey Stone.  She is the most successful coach in our NCAA women's hockey ranks as the head coach at Harvard.  She was also the head coach of the 2013 IIHF World Championship squad.

So now that our team is set, can't wait for the Olympic women's ice hockey tournament to start on February 8.  And yes Renee, February 12 is already circled on my new 2014 calendar.  

That's the day we play y'all in the final Group A match in Sochi before it heads to the medal round..   

Jenna Talackova Gets Canadian ELLE Shoot

In case you're wondering what Jenna Talackova is up to these days after successfully fighting to open up the Miss Universe pageant system to trans contestants, she's simply handling her business and making things happen in her life and modeling career.

The now 25 year old girl like us is set to appear in a photo shoot for Canadian ELLE in January
:
"I can’t believe I’m posing for them,” Talackova said in a behind the scenes video posted on the Canadian ELLE website.

“It’s been a dream — I put them on my vision board and it happened!”

In addition to the Canadian ELLE photo shoot which will appear in the January 2014 issue,  Talackova is also working on an eight episode reality TV series for E! Canada set to start January 19 entitled Brave New Girl.

Talackova is also involved in efforts along with other international trans activists to get the World Health Organization (WHO) to remove transsexualism from the list of mental disorders in the ICD manual that has currently started the revision process that is scheduled to be completed by 2015. 

So what's next for Talackova?   Whatever she decides to do, seems like she's had much success so far in making it a reality with the ICD revision fight to be determined.

C-279 Second Session Update- At Senate Second Reading

You peeps on both sides of the 49th Parallel, AKA the Canada-US border are wondering what the blazes is happening with C-279, the federal trans human rights bill that passed the Canadian House of Commons back on March 13 with a 149-137 vote. 

It has been in the Canadian Senate ever since, and if C-279 passes, it would amend the Canadian Criminal Code to add gender identity to the list of grounds protected from discrimination under the Canadian Human Rights Act and under the hate propaganda section of the Criminal Code.  

Translation:  It would protect trans people from discrimination at the federal level.


Because Conservative PM Stephen Harper asked for and got Parliament prorogued, it basically reset the entire legislative process.  C-279 at the time it was prorogued was at the stage where it only needed to undergo its last two hours of debate and pass its third vote before moving to the Royal Assent state to become Canadian law.  To sponsor Sen. Grant Mitchell's (Liberal-Alberta) unhappiness, the Conservatives in the Senate stalled it before they went on their summer recess on June 30.

NDP MP Randall Garrison, the sponsor of the private member's bill is still optimistic that it will pass even though Sen. Mobina Jaffer (Liberal-BC), whose Human Rights committee C-279 passed through in June on its way to Third Reading, expressed some pessimism in a July Straight.com article that it would pass after the successful last minute Conservative stalling tactics.  .

She is a supporter of the legislation along with Sen. Mitchell, who is the Senate sponsor shepherding its passage through the Red Chamber. 

So here's what has happened since the Canadian Senate returned to handle the nation's legislative business during this second parliamentary session on October 16.


Parliament was prorogued until after Canadian Thanksgiving on October 14.   When the senators returned to work on October 16, the good news was they reinstated C-279.   The bad news is that it had to start the entire legislative process in the Senate all over again. 

C-279 received its First Reading the next day (October 17), but didn't receive Second Reading until November 26.  Starting today this week is the last of five fixed sitting days for the Canadian Senate in 2013 before they go on their holiday break December 20.

The Senate will not return from that break until January 28, so any further action on C-279 is probably going to be delayed until after New Year's Day to give the haters like REAL Women of Canada (think the Maple Leaf division of the TERF's), their right wingers and Conservative senators in opposition to it a chance to throw more 'bathroom bill' (arrgh) shade at it again in an attempt to kill it. 

Okay, Canadian TransGriot readers, that's you cue to become agents of your own trans liberation and get busy calling, writing or e-mailing your senators to urge passage of C-279.

It's vitally important if your senator is a Conservative.  They need to hear from you and know they have trans constituents. 

All we can do on our side of the 49th Parallel is watch the bill's progress, wait unless y'all tell us otherwise, and cheer for its passage when it finally happens. 
.   

Houston Has A New Women's Pro Soccer Team!

Another team joins our lineup of professional sports franchises in the Houston area and will start play in April.   Even cooler is the fact they are a women's professional spots team. 

They are the Houston Dash, our new expansion team in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) that started play earlier this year.

“We are thrilled to have our very own NWSL franchise here in Houston,” said Houston Dynamo president Chris Canetti in a statement. “It is an important addition to our sports landscape and will bring added value to our community.”

The NWSL has been set up as the top echelon women's pro soccer league in North America and is supported by the national soccer federations of the United States, Canada, and Mexico with the goal of building a elite level league for their top national players to play in when they are not competing in the Olympics or the FIFA Women's World Cup.

it also has the goal of building the women's game in these nations and developing talented players for future national teams in Canada, Mexico and the US. 

The NWSL's originating eight teams are the Boston Breakers, Chicago Red Stars, FC Kansas City, Portland Thorns FC, Seattle Reign FC, Sky Blue FC (New Jersey), Washington Spirit and the Western New York Flash (Rochester, NY). 

The NWSL features 23 members of the US women's national team, including stars of the team that won the gold medal at the 2012 Olympics in London, including: Heather O'Reilly (Boston Breakers); Amy LePeilbet and Shannon Boxx (Chicago Red Stars); Nicole Barnhart, Amy Rodriguez, Becky Sauerbrunn and Lauren Holiday (FC Kansas City); Rachel Buehler, Alex Morgan and Tobin Heath (Portland Thorns FC); Megan Rapinoe, Hope Solo and Sydney Leroux (Seattle Reign FC); Kelley O'Hara and Christie Rampone (Sky Blue FC); Ali Krieger (Washington Spirit); and Carli Lloyd and Abby Wambach (Western New York Flash).

The NWSL's Canadian national team stars include Diana Matheson (Washington Spirit); Desiree Scott and Lauren Sesselmann (FC Kansas City); and Christine Sinclair (Portland Thorns FC).

The NWSL players from Mexico's national women's team includes Maribel Dominguez (Chicago Red Stars); Renae Cuellar (Washington Spirit); Teresa Noyola (FC Kansas City); and Monica Ocampo (Sky Blue FC).

In the inaugural NWSL Championship game the Portland Thorns defeated the top seeded Western New York Flash 2-0 in Rochester.

But back to talking about the Houston Dash.    

The Dash are the NWSL's first ever expansion club and are the second in the league after the Thorns supported by an MLS club.   The Dash are owned by the same group that owns the Houston Dynamo

The Dash will train at the Dynamo's complex and play their 12 home games at BBVA Compass Stadium.

They are currently looking to hire their head coach and unveil their uniforms for the upcoming 2014 season later.

As for the inaugural season roster of the Houston Dash, the 18-20 woman roster for the inaugural team will be filled by allocation of players from the U.S., Canada and Mexico national teams, the expansion draft, the January 17 NWSL collegiate draft, and other discovery signings.

The only thing I wish they'd done is given the fans an opportunity to choose the nickname, but I can understand the Dynamo brass reluctance to do so after the Houston 1836 drama. 

Should be fun to watch a women's pro sports team here in H-town for the first time since the Houston Comets (sniff sniff) departed the scene and looking forward to checking out some of their games when I can.

 

Tracey Fighting To Be Herself

Where are the trans teen kids who share my ethnic background?  It's a question I've been asking and frankly so have my readers for a while.

One of my readers recently sent me a story about 10 year old Tracey Wilson, who lives in British Columbia with her parents.

While I was happy to read about her transition and her loving parents supporting it, the part of the story I'm not happy about is that the seeds of the transphobia that Dr. Paul McHugh sowed in the Vatican back in 2003 continue to bear poisonous transphobic fruit at the flock level. 

Tracey is now living as a girl full time.  When she wanted to do so at her semi-private Catholic school as well and her parents Michelle and Garfield informed Sacred  Heart of Tracey's wish, the school said no.   They offered to let her use the disabled bathroom, but not the girl's one and refused to authorize a name change or allow Tracey to wear the girls school uniform claiming they didn't have a policy for it.

The great thing about living in Canada besides universal health care and Timmy's is that they have strong human rights protection enshrined in their Charter of Rights and Freedoms.  Tracey's parents have filed a human rights complaint with the BC Human Rights Tribunal against the Independent Catholic Schools of Vancouver.

And yes BC, it's past time for you to join the other four provinces and the Northwest Territories in your home and native land that protect the human rights of trans citizens of your province.

Tracey's human rights complaint will be heard in the spring, and I'll definitely be keeping an eye on it along with everyone else in Trans World and the African Diaspora

Renee, Sochi Olympic Hockey Is Coming!

I know you and other Canadian women's hockey fans are still crying in your Timmy's after you lost the IIHF women's ice hockey championship to us for the fifth time in seven years.

What was even sweeter about this IIHF title win was it happened in Canada and in your nation's capital. 

It may be your game, but y'all got your butts kicked on your home soil in your nation's capital in the IIHF final.  And we didn't even need overtime this time to beat you.3-2.

USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!

Just sounds so good rolling off my tongue along with the words '2013 IIHF Women's Hockey World Champions.'
  
So now let's get to talking about the next major international women's ice hockey tournament, and it's going down in Sochi during the Olympic Games.   Yeah the Russian women claim they'll be motivated to prevent a USA-Canada Olympic final, and to be honest they have some recent positive results to back up those woof tickets they're trying to sell to the peeps back home.   They did take a bronze medal back home to Mother Russia from Ottawa, but we know who the real women's hockey powers are according to the 2013 IIHF Women's World Rankings that the (ahem) USA sits on top of..

The Olympics are a mere two months away from starting, and the hockey competition will start at the Shayba Arena on February 8. 

Unfortunately we'll be in the same preliminary Group A with Finland and Switzerland while the host Russians will be in Group B with Germany, Japan and Sweden.

But circle February 12 on your calendar because that's the night the USA and Canada meet in the final game Group A play.  If both teams play the way they normally do, that game will probably decide who wins Group A and who gets the runner up spot.

Yeah yeah, big deal that Canada has won the last three women's Olympic gold medals, but you didn't win the first ever one in the 1998 Nagano Games.  

And yes, all winning streaks must come to an end.

 

Lolo's One Step Closer To Going To Sochi

I love Lolo Jones and still feel for her when I see that video of her hitting that second to last hurdle on her way to what looked like a legacy cementing gold medal performance in the 100m hurdles final at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and failing to place. 

She gracefully handled that tremendous disappointment and busted her butt to make the Olympic team again in 2012 only to finish in fourth place in London behind her silver and bronze medal winning teammates Dawn Harper and Kellie Wells in the 100m women's hurdle final won in Olympic record time by Australia's Sally Pearson.

At age 31 Lolo Jones is still chasing Olympic gold, although at a different time of year and in a different event.  This is the second year that Jones has competed in bobsled as a push athlete, and she and fellow sprinter Lauryn Williams were recently named to the nine member USA Women's Bobsled team for the upcoming FIBT World Cup event later today in Calgary.  

She has also added 30 pounds to her previously 130 pound frame in order to help her in her quest to make the USA Bobsled team bound for Sochi. 

Jones and Williams will be joining Emily Azevedo, Katie Eberling, Aja Evans and Kristi Koplin as sled pushers, with Elana Meyers, Jamie Greubel and Jazmine Fenlator serving as drivers.

Depending on the results in this World Cup event the USA could qualify as many as three two woman sleds for Sochi.  The team will also be named in mid to late January, so this is an opportunity for Jones to make one last impression on the powers that be in the US Bobsled and Skeleton Federation before that selection happens. 

In case you're wondering about the prospects for Jones should she make the team of medaling in Sochi, there is a precedent for a track athlete crossing over into the sport and experiencing success in it.

After several failed attempts to make the US Olympic track team Vonetta Flowers at the urging of her husband tried and embraced the sport.  In the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games she and her driver Jill Bakken won gold in the inaugural two women bobsled event.  With the win Flowers made history by becoming the first African descended athlete ever to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics.  Two years later Flowers would earn a bronze medal at the FIBT World Championships at Konigsee, Germany.

During Jones' rookie season on the FIBT World Cup circuit she did medal in three races.  So she does have an excellent chance at making this team, attempting to match Vonetta Flowers and getting that Olympc gold medal that has eluded her so far in the Summer Games.

    

Trans Flight Attendant Elected To Presidency Of Her Union Local

When I was in the airline business, there were rumors that we had four trans flight attendants working for our carrier at the time I was becoming the first out Black trans person working at Continental Airlines in 1994.

One of those flight attendants was allegedly based in Honolulu, while the other three were alleged to be flying routes out of our other domestic bases besides Houston.  Depending on where they were based, they may have crossed my path because I worked the departure gates at IAH and I have no idea if they worked my flights or not because they didn't reveal their status to my very out self.   

So as a former airline person I was happy to hear about the groundbreaking and historic win of girl like us flight attendant Audrey Gauthier.   Back on November 1 she was elected president of CUPE Local 4041, and represents Air Transat flight attendants based in Montreal

With that win she became the first open trans person to elected to lead a union local in Canada and possibly the world.   But Gauthier downplayed the historic achievement. 
l
“I’m proud to be the first transsexual member elected president of a local, and for LGBTTI rights it’s something that’s important, but our members don’t really see me as different. They just see me as a woman, period,” she said.  

Gauthier.added, “I was elected to unite people. My goal is to build a strong relationship between the local and our component.”

Congratulations and may you have much success in accoplishing that goal as you fly the friendly Canadian skies. 
    

Newfoundland And Labrador Adding Gender Identity To Provincial Human Rights Act

Thanks to two years of lobbying by trans advocates in Newfoundland and Labrador and NDP MHA Gerry Rogers, Minister of Justice Darin King announced on November 7 that he would be introducing an amendment to the 2010 Human Rights Act during this House of Assembly session that would add gender identity and expression to the prohibited grounds of discrimination in the province.  

“Discrimination in any form is wrong. This amendment is important to enhancing public education and dialogue around issues of the Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Transgendered and Queer community in the province. Creating a climate of understanding and mutual respect is important to this government and we must all strive to ensure that each person, regardless of their gender identity or gender expression, feels a part of their community.”
- The Honorable Darin King, Minister of Justice

While the government's position was that discrimination against trans people in Newfoundland and Labrador because of gender identity or gender expression was covered under sex in the Human Rights Act, the community and MHA Rogers insisted otherwise. 

MHA Rogers has been personally lobbying the Department of Justice along with trans community members to point out the language was needed, and she is happy that it's finally being done. 

“This is a real victory for advocates of trans rights, “said Rogers. “I’m so happy that all the hard work is paying off and that trans people will now be protected by our Human Rights Act.” - See more at: http://www.nlndpcaucus.ca/nr110713GIRights#sthash.jGhdwD3P.dpuf

is a real victory for advocates of trans rights, “said Rogers. “I’m so happy that all the hard work is paying off and that trans people will now be protected by our Human Rights Act.” - See more at: http://www.nlndpcaucus.ca/nr110713GIRights#sthash.jGhdwD3P.dpuf

"This is a real victory for advocates of trans rights," said MHA Rogers. "I'm so happy that all the hard work is paying off and that trans people will be protected by our Human Rights Act." 

The amendment adding the gender identity and expression language to the Act will not only clarify and strengthen it, but make Newfoundland and Labrador the fifth Canadian jurisdiction to do so after the Northwest Territories, Ontario, Manitoba and Nova Scotia. 

Now if the Canadian Senate would get busy doing the right thing and pass C-279 the federal Trans Rights Bill. 

2015 Women's World Cup Details

I wrote a post back in 2011 discussing the FIFA announcement that the 2015 Women's World Cup would be held in the Great White North. 

And yeah Renee (and 'errbody' else in Canada), I can't wait for the USA women to beat Canada again like they did in the 2012 London Olympics women's semis and the June friendly in Toronto.

But for that to happen, the USA women not only have to qualify, we have to hope we don't end up in Group A with them or on the same side of the bracket.

More details have come out since that May 2011 post.   The dates for the FIFA Women's World Cup will be June 6 to July 5 with the cities hosting matches being Vancouver, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Ottawa, Montreal and Moncton.  Toronto decided not to bid because they will be busy hosting the 2015 Pan American Games that summer and Halifax took itself out of the running for match hosting duties in March 2012.

The great thing about this upcoming FIFA women's tournament is that due to the increased interest in women's soccer around the world, the number of teams in this tournament has been expanded from 16 to 24.  

The only team is qualified right now are the host Canadians, and FIFA determined in a June 11 meeting last summer how the other 23 tournament qualifying berths will be allocated to the various confederations.

The AFC (Asia) gets 5 (up from 3), CAF (Africa) gets 3 (up from 2), CONCACAF (North/Central America, Caribbean) gets 3.5 plus the host slot  (up from 2.5), CONMEBOL (South America) gets 2.5 slots (up from 2) and Oceania keeps their single slot.  The big winner was UEFA (Europe) which got 8 slots, up from the 4.5+1 they had in 2011)

Qualification started in the AFC on May 21, the CAF on February 13 and in UEFA on April 4.  CONCACAF, Oceania and CONMEBOL have yet to get the qualification party started.

One of the teams we know won't be in Canada is North Korea, which has been banned for the 2015 Women's World Cup by FIFA.   Several North Korean players tested positive for performance enhancing drugs during the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup in Germany to draw the ban.  

Once the qualification period ends, the draw to fill out the six tournament groups will take place.   Canada is already slotted into Group A, so it is at that time we'll discover the other three teams that will be in their group and how the other five groups will shake out.

The FIFA Women's World Cup Final will be held at BC Place in Vancouver on July 5, with the semifinals on June 30 and July 1 in Montreal and Edmonton.  The Third Place playoff match will take place July 4 in Edmonton.

So which teams will be the last ones standing in Vancouver two years from now? 

Will there be a heartwarming run to the 2015 title by an underdog nation like there was for the Nadeshiko Japan in 2011?  Will Sweden now that former USA coach Pia Sundhage has returned to her homeland to coach the national team make a title run?   Will the Canadians and Christine Sinclair be fired up enough to turn their bronze Olympic medal, home fan support and national pride into a home soil FIFA world championship run? 

Can Marta finally lead the Brazilians to their first world title?   Will the French women finally break through after frustrating semifinal losses in 2011 to the USA and the 2012 Olympics to Japan?  What will the Three Lionesses of England do now that after 15 years of running thangs Hope Powell is no longer patrolling their sidelines?  Will an African team finally get to the knockout round?

Will the power teams like the USA and Germany shake off their respective disappointing 2011 tournament results and resume their dominance of the international women's game? 

And how much Hateraid will Canada have for striker Sydney Leroux who grew up there but plays for Team USA?

It's going to be fun watching this dramatic feminine sporting story play out two summers from now.

Happy Thanksgiving 2013, Eh!

Today is Thanksgiving on the other side of the long 5525 mile boarder (including Alaska) that we share with our northern neighbors.   My Canadian friends are sitting down at their dinner tables to get their grub on and give thanks for the many blessings they have received this year.

One of the blessings I receive from you is that out of the top ten nations that surf to my blog, you are number two in terms of the number of people who surf over here to read my posts just ahead of Great Britain.  I thank you Canadian TransGriot readers for taking the time out of your busy day to surf over to the blog. 

And yes, there is my cadre of wonderful cis and trans friends and blogging colleagues that span the country from British Columbia to Alberta to Newfoundland and Labrador. 

And most definitely have to give thanks for the enduring friendship and constantly evolving sisterhood I share with my Timmy's Icecapp drinking homegirl in Niagara Falls.

After the scary news we heard about her earlier this year, so happy that Renee's not only made a remarkable recovery from her health challenge, but is dispensing her thoughtful commentary and wisdom in the social justice blogosphere and at Womanist Musings once again.     

And as a bonus, I get to chat with her about the latest 'Scandal' episodes, Canadian, American and international politics, fashion, human rights, our lives and a wide range of topics on a regular basis.  

The Canadian Parliament is reconvening after Thanksgiving, so we will see what transpires with C-279, the Trans Rights Bill that because of the prorogation of Parliament, has to start over at First Stage in the Senate legislative process.  It reached Third Stage before the Conservative Senate majority stalled it long enough for them to go on summer break in June without taking that final vote.

Will C-279 finally pass and codify the human rights of my Canadian trans cousins?   We'll see if the Senate does the right thing or the right-wing thing..

But we can discuss that later.   I know you're beyond ready to start carving into your Thanksgiving turkeys, ham (or vegan fare) and get busy eagerly devouring that delicious meal with family and friends. 

Happy Thanksgiving!
   

What's Happening With C-279?

Well, so much from the Canadian Senate returning to work on September 17 and getting busy passing Bill C-279.  Prime Minister Stephen Harper decided on August 19 to ask Governor-General David Johnston to prorogue Parliament, a request that was granted a few days later. 

So what does that mean for us peeps south of the 49th parallel?   According to the Canadian Parliament’s website: “The principal effect of ending a session by prorogation is to end business. All government bills that have not received Royal Assent prior to prorogation cease to exist; committee activity also ceases. Thus, no committee can sit after a prorogation.”

Translation: Canadian MP's and Senators will not return to the business of legislating until after Canadian Thanksgiving on October 14.

So what effect does that have on Bill C-279, which was at Third Reading stage in the Senate before the Conservatives slowed down the legislative works long enough for them to get out of Ottawa for their summer break without it getting passed?

It basically resets the process for it in the Senate (which was probably the intent of the Conservatives when they stalled its passage) at First Stage, so C-279 has to go though the entire legislative process in the Senate again.

MP Randall Garrison is still hopeful C-279 will pass the Senate and become law, but we'll have to wait until after Thanksgiving to find out if the Canadian Senate thinks the human rights of its trans citizens are worth protecting.

Will C-279 Ever Pass The Senate And Become Canadian Federal Law?

When we last checked in on Bill C-279's progress through the Conservative dominated Canadian Senate on its way to passage and Royal Assent it had come out of the Senate Committee on Human Rights and was at Third Stage before the Cons started showing their repressive behinds. 

The bill seeks to add gender identity as a prohibited grounds of discrimination in the Canadian Human Rights Act and amend the Criminal Code to forbid the promotion of hatred against trans people.

The Senate Conservatives stalled progress on C-279 long enough so they moved into the summer break that started on June 28 with it still at Third Stage status and an amendment to it proposed by Conservative Senator Nancy Ruth that if it passes will send the bill back to the House

And there's also the possibility that Prime Minister Stephen Harper will prorogue parliament when they return in the fall, which means that the entire Senate legislative process for C-279 would start at the beginning if that happens. 

It's this situation that has Liberal BC Senator Mobina Jaffer, the head of the Senate Committee on Human Rights expressing her concerns in a recent Straight.com interview that she's no longer confident that the bill can pass when the Canadian Senate returns to session on September 17 despite it getting through her committee with the support of Conservative senators.

“I can’t tell you that when it comes back to us that we will approve it,” Senator Jaffer said. “And this is a bill that we should approve; it’s unacceptable not to.”

If C-279 is sent back to the House, where it passed on a 149-137 vote with the help of 18 Con MP's with PM Harper voting against it and Liberal leader Justin Trudeau was a no show for the vote.  Jaffer is pessimistic about its chances of passage if that scenario happens.

NDP MP Randall Garrison, the sponsor of the private member's bill is still optimistic that C-279 will pass.  he noted that the Senate passes bills on First, Second and Third reading in one day if they wish to and see no reason why that can't happen for C-279.

“There’s no reason for the unelected Senate to block the bill,” Garrison told Straight.com “And nothing came up in the [Senate] committee that would suggest there was any reason for them to block the bill.”.  

We'll see who is correct when the calendar page turns to September.   But in the interim, I would suggest that you Canadian trans folks get busy becoming agents of you own liberation and lobbying and e-mailing your senators to defeat the Ruth amendment and pass C-279 on Third Reading.

You have a chance to have happen in your lifetimes with our gridlocked Congress your trans cousins south of the 49th Parallel won't see in terms of your national legislature passing a federal law that protects your human rights.

Alleged Killer of January Lapuz To Face Trial

The alleged killer of Vancouver area trans woman January Marie Lapuz will be going on trial next year.

Twenty year old Charles Jameson 'Jamie' Mungo Neel is facing second degree murder charges in the death of the 26 year old Lapuz, who was stabbed in her New Westminster, BC home last September and subsequently died in a hospital a few hours later.

Neel was arrested on December 5 by New Westminster, BC police and faced a preliminary hearing in the court of Judge Therese Alexander back in June.

After hearing witnesses and viewing presented evidence, Judge Alexander ruled this case should go to trial and a date was set for June 9-16, 2014 for the trial to take place.

Will continue to monitor this north of the border case and see in the Canadian justice system is better than the one in my own nation when it concerns dispensing justice in the murder of trans individuals.

It's Renee's Birthday Again!

It's July 11, and longtime readers of this blog know what that means.  

It's time for my annual birthday post celebrating the day the founding editor of Womanist Musings and my homegirl Renee Martin arrived on this planet north of the 49th parallel.

But this birthday post has a little different tone to it this year because of the frightening news I received from the Unhusband last month that she'd had a serious health setback.

She's recovering and working her butt off now along with the folks at the rehab hospital who are just as determined as she is to help her get better.  She's also armed with her tablet, so please continue to say your prayers and send your well wishes to her and her family.

But a world without Renee's blog commentary or one in which I don't get to pick up the phone and talk to her on a regular basis on a wide range of subjects is too painful to even comprehend. 

So this birthday for my Timmy's Ice Capp drinking Coach purse loving homegirl is a special one. 

Renee's made it through another 365 days (366 in a leap year) and a challenging month to celebrate it.  Those of us who love her are ecstatic that she's still in this plane of existence with us to enjoy it, say 'Happy Birthday' to her and let her know how much she is loved by us.

And yes, she is another year closer to a milestone birthday of her own (snicker, snicker).

Naw Renee, don't think I forgot about what you wrote last year.  I have 365 days to contemplate what to write when you hit your own milestone birthday next year. 

I have every confidence in the world you and by extension all of us who love you will be blessed enough to have you here next July to read it. 

Love you sis, and Happy Birthday, Renee!

I Repeat: White People Doing Blackface Drag Is Not Acceptable, Period!

And for once, it isn't the odious Chuck Knipp and his Shirley Q. Liquor 'act' I'm slamming for trying to do it. 

This latest episode of white person who didn't get the memo that white people doing blackface drag is never appropriate is Toronto drag queen Daytona Bitch.

He has his draws in a knot because he was fired from a gig during the recent Toronto Pride for performing in blackface.

He was allegedly imitating Miss Cleo from the Psychic Hotline commercials of the late 90's-early 2K's at the Crews & Tango  nightclub in Toronto.

The June 24 performance generated a lot of angrily contentious discussion on Twitter with the clueless Daytona Bitch trying to defend along with his fans the jacked up performance. 

"I asked a couple people if it was offensive because it’s not blackface in my eyes,” Daytona Bitch says. “I went to theater school. I know what blackface is. It was not a minstrel show. I was doing a character.

Whitesplaining segment over, time for Moni to school your azz right now on the subject.

Sure it's not offensive or blackface in your eyes because you're wallowing in vanillacentric privilege.  And if you claim to know what blackface is, why did you go ahead with that performance anyway?

Obviously none of those people you asked in that club were Black Canadians, because they would have told your vanillacentric privileged behind what I'm about to say in this post right now.

Blackface has been used to denigrate, demean and dehumanize Black people across the African Diaspora for over 180 years.  It's why African descended people in North America have highly negative views toward it that haven't and won't change even in the second decade of the 21st century.   

It's also why North American Black people have a zero tolerance policy toward any manifestation of white people in blackface, whether it is maliciously racist or not. 

We don't care if you are a drag performer, a model doing a high fashion photo shoot, somebody doing so as a badly thought out Halloween costume or drunken white college kids perpetuating negative stereotypes of African descended people in the name of fun and frivolity.   You need to get it through your vanillacentric privileged minds blackface is offensive to African descended people and there is no justification in our chococentic minds for doing so. 

And you knew it too, which is why you and your fans are trying to whitesplain this away. BTW Daytona, since you got paid for that performace, it does qualify as blackface since you made money off the dehumanization of my people.  

You don't get to tell my POC community as a member of the ethnic group that exercises power in this society (deleteriously at times to my community) what is or isn't offensive.  We have repeatedly told you Blackface is one of those things that IS offensive to us on both sides of the 49th parallel, so hear us loud and clear when we say that. 

And don't even try to bring up the Wayans Brothers White Chicks movie, Tyler Perry as Madea, Martin Lawrence as 'Big Momma', Eddie Murphy in Norbit, Whoopi Goldberg, or RuPaul's sellout azz into this conversation in order to defend blackface.

Don't bother parting your lips to say that tired, 'we need to lighten up about it' line or try to claim 'it's a costume' either. 

My people and my culture are not costumes you put on for your or your people's entertainment.

I repeat, white people doing blackface, whether it is malicious or not is NEVER acceptable so don't do it unless you like being called out about it.

Class dismissed.

Happy 146th Birthday Canada!

Happy Canada Day TransGriot readers!

Today is Canada's 146th birthday, and it would have been an exceptional and more joyous one for my Canadian trans cousins had the Senate not succumbed to its Conservative leanings.

It should have brought the Trans Rights Bill up for a vote before they went on summer recess.  

But despite that, your home and native land has made some fantastic progress trans human rights wise that your south of the border trans cousins are envious of.

And on the day your nation was born, I want to thank all you readers north of the 49th parallel who surf to my blog on a regular basis and read what I have to say about various issues and let me know how much you appreciate an American taking an interest in what happens in Canada.

As a child of the African Diaspora, what happens in Canada is also a major concern to me because of my African descended brothers and sisters up there.  As a member of the international trans community, what happens in Canada also affects me so it is important for me to keep up with developments that affect the trans community in the Great White North.

I'm also continuing to think about and pray for the rapid recovery of my Timmy's IceCapp loving homegirl as she continues to recover from her health challenge 

Going to miss the post in which she does her usual Canada Day bragging that I have to rebut three days later. 

And no Renee, no proposed trades accepted for Alberta.  I have enough problems with the conservafools here in Baja Alberta (AKA Texas to the rest of y'all) and the rest of the Confederate flag waving South.  

I don't need any more, so y'all deal with the Sweater Vest, Little Alberta and all those Conservatives in the prairie provinces.

Happy Canada Day!

C-279 Vote Stalled By Conservatives At Third Stage

Well, it was only a matter of time before the Conservatives in the Canadian Senate showed their anuses and did so as Bill C-279 was on the verge of passing.  

For those of you new to this story, C-279 is a  Canadian federal trans rights bill would add gender identity to the list of  grounds protected from discrimination under the Canadian Human Rights Act and under the hate propaganda section of the Criminal Code.  

It passed successfully out of the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights on June 10, but with it being only a tantalizing two hours of debate, an affirmative vote and Royal Assent away from becoming law the fun started in the Conservative dominated Senate chamber to slow its roll toward that happening. 

First Conservative lesbian senator (why am I not surprised) Nancy Ruth added an amendment to C-279 on June 13 that adds "ethnic origin, sex, gender identity or sexual orientation” to the bill citing the specious reason 'that it was time to do so'.  

“This bill will add the category of gender identity to section 318 of the Criminal Code, but one of the categories missing in that enumerated ground is the category of ‘sex,’” Ruth said on the floor of the Senate

“We had a chance 10 years ago when we put ‘sexual orientation’ in that section of the Criminal Code. This is the time to add now the category ‘sex’ for the women of Canada.” 

You've been in the Canadian Senate since 2005 and you haven't been concerned about that issue until a bill that protects the rights of transpeople in the Great White North is about to pass.   Transphobic much? 

If Ruth’s amendment were to pass which was unlikely according to Sen. Mitchell since it didn't have support,  the bill would have to go back to the Conservative dominated House of Commons and pass again.  If the amendment was defeated and the bill subsequently passed, C-279 would move on to royal assent stage and become law.

But first it has to get a vote, which Conservative Senator and Government Leader Marjory LeBreton isn't allowing to happen according to Liberal Senator Grant Mitchell, the senate sponsor of C-279. 

“The real disappointment that has become clear in the last few days is they are not going to allow it to come to a vote. The bill will not be voted on, amended or unamended,” he predicted in an Xtra.ca interview.

“They are not calling a vote because the leadership in the Senate doesn’t want to have a vote. Because the prime minister voted against it, probably,” he said.

“I deeply care about this,” said Senator Mitchell. “My caucus deeply cares about this. It is a betrayal of democracy that elected MPs representing 65 percent of the popular vote supported this bill and the Conservative leadership in the Senate won’t even allow a vote.”

So do trans Canadians, who were hoping they would have something to really celebrate on Canada Day.

Even if they don't allow a vote on C-279 before the Senate goes on summer break June 28, it would return to the order paper at the third reading stage in the fall unless Prime Minister Stephen Harper prorogues Parliament.  If that happens, because it is a private member's bill, C-279 would start all over again in the Senate at the first reading stage.

Well, as Dr. King once stated, we must accept finite disappointment, but we must never give up infinite hope.

You will see that day my Canadian trans cousins when your human rights are protected by your federal legislature far sooner that it will happen south of the 49th parallel. 

It just won't be before July 1 as you'd hoped.

Renee's Medical Update

For those of you who are wondering how our fave north of the 49th parallel frequent guest blogger is doing in combating her recent health challenge, there's some positive news to report on that front.

Renee is on the mend, in good spirits, is determined to get better and the medical team is just as determined to help her get to that point. 

She is now in the rehabilitation hospital for the next three weeks and look out world, is still armed with her tablet.  

She wants to thank all of you who continue to send her get well soon messages on her blog and who lifted her and her family up in prayer during this challenging time.  

With continued progress she'll be unleashing her wit, wisdom and commentary on the world in no time..

Nova Scotia To Cover GRS Surgeries

More evidence of the positive karmic momentum wave that trans human rights is on north of the 49th parallel.

After first saying they wouldn't cover GRS surgeries in the provincial health plan in the wake of passing trans human rights legislation in the province citing fiscal issues, after reviewing medical evidence and a chat with NSRAP, Nova Scotia's provincial health minister David Wilson reversed that decision and said they would do so.

With that decision Nova Scotia becomes the eight Canadian province to provide funding for genital realignment surgeries.

Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan are the others that offer varying levels of funding for GRS.   

Kevin Kindred, the chairman of the Rainbow Action Project, said he’s pleased Nova Scotia reversed its stance because for some people, the surgeries are medically necessary for mental health.

“This is the best and most effective method to return transgendered people to a good state of medical health,” Kindred said. "They’ll go from being a drain on the health system … to being positive, contributing members of society.”

Wilson said the province will “move as quickly as it can” to set up standards of care and negotiate funding levels for the treatment, adding that the section of the physician’s manual that prohibits funding for the surgery will be immediately removed. 

The Health Department will begin researching whether there are medical professionals in Nova Scotia who can do the operations, and if not, where they can be done, he added.